Automobile body construction



Jan. 15, 1935. w. P. WAGNER AUTOMOBILE BODY CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 16, 1955 2 Shets-Sheet 1 NVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Jan.15,1935. W WAGNER v I 1,988,346

AUTOMOBILE BODY CONSTRUCTION Fil ed Feb. 15, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l 26 29 36 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 15, 1935 1,988,346 AUTOMOBILE BODY CONSTRUCTION n j Willys P. Wagner, Terre Haute, Ind.

, Application February 16, 1933, Serial no. 657,056 Y Claims. (Cll:296 1 07)"" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

,This invention" relates to improvements in Figure is a front elevation of the half of the automobile bodies, and has for its object to procar shown in Figure 2. I I 11 vide an automobile body that is streamlined I Figure8 is a front elevation of half of'the car throughout and may havea rigid, disappearing shownin Figure 4. I I

5 top and a compartment in thebody for housing Figure 9 is a longitudinal section through'the' 5 the top. I body showing the seat. compartment, the'top- In carrying out the. streamline construction of receiving compartment, the articulated 'me'chathe body the fenders are so attached to the body nism for supporting and guid the top, and the and the hood that the least amount of resistclosure for the top compartment. I I

10 ance to the air is encountered.- In order to fur- Figure 10 is a section similar to that shown in 10 ther diminish the resistance of the aira spare Figure 9, with the top housed in the top-receivwheel, usually transported on the front fender, ing compartment but with the closure therefor is located within a pocket or compartment proin an open position. v i

vided therefor in the hood, between the hood Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 10 -but tween thewheel and the motor, I I position to close the compartment. I

' It is also an object of this invention to provide Figure 12 is a section on the line 1212 of an automobile body having a seat compartment, Figure 9.

atop-receiving compartment immediately be- Figure 13 is a section on the line 1313 of hind the seat compartment, and a rigid top ar- Figure 9. I I 1 0 ticulately connected to the body so it may as- I The automobile, the subject of the present insume a horizontal position over the seat eomvention, has the usual Wheels 1, carrying a suppartment, or it may be inserted within the topv porting fram Extendin over the-front compartment and inclosedtherein- Wheels is a front fender 3, and extending over It is also an object of this invention to prothe rear wheels are rear fenders 4. Thefenders 25 vide a V-shaped windshield to which one end on each side are connected by a runhingbo'ard 5. of the top is attached, or which supports one Formed in the'front fenders are headlights 7, end of the top. I The frame has thereon a body 8, with side doors It is a further object of this invention to pro- 9. There maybe one door to eachside, as shown and the motor, with a wheel protecting plate bewith the closure for the top compartment in a 15' vide, in connection with a body having a topn Figure 1,01" two doors in the case of these- 30 I receiving compartment therein, a closure for the dan shown in Figure 3. On the-ends of the compartment supported and operated by a guide frame are bumpers 6. I I and support member for guiding and supporting The body is divided into various compartthe top when it is inserted in the top-receiving ments, one constituting a seat compartment and compartment.

These and other objects and advantages will to receiveand inclose a rigid top 10, the front appear from the following description taken in end of which is V-shaped and adapted to "rest connection ith th d wi upon thetop of the V-shaped windshield 11. Referring t th drawings; I I The automobile has a hood composed of a pair the other a top-receiving compartment adapted 35- 40 Figure 1 is a side elevation f a ou ofupper members 12, suitably pivoted together, 40'

structed in accordance with the present 'invenand f each of these upper m r i pivoted tion I I the side part 13 of the hood, which is adapted to Figure 2 is a half plan view of the automobile q p Wlth the front fender and a? part Shown in Figure 1 II extending down from the front fender in inclosing the motor.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of a sedan in I I I 1 In front of the hood is a V-shaped radiator Whlch the we and of are shell 14, which has in its front a lattice struc lined, with the headlight located in front'of the Each Side part 13 of th ',h d is bulged Q as indicated by the numeral 15, and cooperates Figure 4 is a half'plan view ofthe car shown w the a m forming. wheel housingror in Figure 3. I I pocket. These parts areclearly shown in Fig- Figure 5 is a section on the line 5--5 of 'Figure 5, II I ure 2. I -In the form shown in Figures 3, 6 and 8 the Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Figside 13 'of the hoodis bulged uniformlyto prolire-4. vide space for housing a spare wheel, as indi-- 5 -upon some suitable part of the frame 2.

i attached to the top at the point 28.

hood extends forwardly and terminates in a splash apron 15a formed adjacent the inside of the front fender. In front of this splash apron 15a is located the headlight 7 in this form.

The wheel 17 is supported in the pocket or compartment by means of a bracket 18 mounted In order to protect the wheel from the heat of the motor a removable shield or guard 19 may be suitably attached to. the frame, as shown in Figure 5. In this form the hood parts 12 and 13 move independently of the shield.

In the form shown in Figure 6 the removable shield 19 is articulately attached to the hood parts so that when the hood elevated this shield is elevated with it, as shown in dotted por n the front end of th t p. 10, inthe manner shown in Figure 1. In thefprm shown in F g e B't wind hi ld andithe top are. form together so there is no seat on, the windshield for upporting the front; end of. the sedan ton The compartment. at the rear of the seat compartment has an pening 211eadin th reto, which mayhe closedvby means of a guidable c1osure'22t In the. bottom of the automobile; at each side Of, the body, is a plate 23 suitably attached to the frame or some part of the bodyl Each, plate-has extendin upwardly therefrom a post 24, which has on its upper end, a u-shaped bracket 25. a t

.Thfl uter arm of each U, .haped bracket. is. attached to the extreme; rear of the top. by means of a system of levers or an articulated mechanism 26, as clearly shown in Figures 9,. 10 and, 11. The other arm of the LIV-shaped, bracket is c n art ulated mechanism 29 to the. body,

in front of the point, where the other system;

of levers is attached. The systemoof levers 2,6, is attached to .the bracket at, the points 27 and is,

The system of levers 29 is attached to'the bracket at the points 30 and is, attached to the top. at the point 31,

, On the frontface oftthe guide and supporting 7 member is a plurality of plates 37, suitably attached to the member and having their upper ends connected to the closure 22 by any suite able mechanism. By suitable manipulation of the guide and supporting member the closure 22 may move to close the opening 21, or it-may moveto open the opening 21. In the seat compartment is a. seat 38 having aback 39. Forming a suitable support for the body, adjacent the top-receiving compartment, is a frame struc- 1 1 t a As shown in Figure 9, the top extends in a horizontal direction over the seatcompartment with the front of the top supported on the e t s mem i its ar r-o it o i- 1,988,346 cated by the numeral 15'. The part 15' of the moving the guide and supporting member and the various links connected thereto backwardly, or toward the rear of the car, the closure is removed from the opening 21 to a point tolthe rear of the frame 40 and the rigid top may be tilted and caused to seat within the top-receiving compartment, as shown in Figure 10.

As shown in this figure the top is nested behind and beneath the seat. It will be observed fromFigure '10, that the guide and support member c n iderablyt he rear o the't n. h u

within the top-receiving compartment. By mov ing; this guide and supporting member forward the closure is caused to move forward and close the openingzr for concealing the rigid top within, the. top compartment. This guide and support'member aids in directing and guiding the top as it is-loeated within the top-receiving compartment, and when properly located within "the top'compartment it serves to hold the top in position. and prevent. its; moving and ttlin The relative positions of: the vpar-ts w th the. le

sure closing: the open n 21am sh wn in'E s-v ure 11, a t

when: itis desired to withdraw the t p t oml the top-receiving compartment the closure is caused to moveobaokward yl so' t at th arts will. as ume the p si ions own n, E eu-'re mi The top may heo d'. toswine u wa dly It willbeunderstood that I desire to compre-o hend within this, invention such, modificationsv as come within the scope of my claims and my invention a Havin hu fully d s bed m inv ntio what: I, cl im asnew and des re to s o req y letters Patent, is; v a j v 1, In an automobile construction, a body havin a compartment. and an p n ng ead ng i o the compartment, a-rigid top, a, system of lever-s s pp rting ea h s f hej ooon he body, whereby the top may be supported above the body or may passthrough the opening into the compartment, and a support and guide memberfor the top inthe compartment having means thereon for closing the opening, said support and guide member being supported on each side of the body by a plurality of. links.

2. n an automobile n r ction, a b dyay in a c mpar ment and n openin le d n o the compartment, a rigid'top, asystem oI levers s pp r ing. ch de of. the top, n the bod whereby e t p may be support d a ove the.

thereon for'closing the opening, said support and,

guide member being supported on eachv side of the body by a link pivotally sup-ported at. e ch end bya link. a

3. In an automobile construction, a body'having a compartment and an opening into the compar-tment, a top,v an articulated mechanism for supporting the 'topand moving the top through the opening into thecompartment, and a sliding closure for the opening, said closure having means in the compartment to guide and support the, top in thepcompartment;

4. In an automobile construction, a body having a com artment- :and an opening-into the compartment, a rigid top, an articulated mech,

behind and below the seat, an articulated slidable back for the compartment behind the seat to receive the top, a slidable cover connected therewith for covering the opening through which the top passes to and from its position behind and below the seat whereby when the top is in its lower position, the cover closes said opening and carries with it the back of said compartment closely adjacent to said top.

WIILYS P. WAGNER. 

